Every year should start with a list of proper New Year resolutions, so here we go! Even if you decide to only take up one of the 10 suggested New year resolutions below, you will make a difference. But I suggest that you need to pick and do a few of the list below to be exempted from the usual losing weight targets and stop smoking commitments etc.!
Image courtesy of Chantipat FreeDigitalPhotos.net
- Only consume fruit, veggies and meat from local suppliers, save the pollution of the transportation, and supports the local community!
- With the summers (and autumns, winters and springs) getting warmer thanks to the Global Warming, give your tumble dryer a day off and dry your laundry the green way: hang a clothesline across the yard and let the neighbors enjoy the view of your freshly washed knickers on a sunny day.
- Try to take Public Transport 1 day a week. If only in London 100.000 people would do this one day a (work)week, it means 20.000 cars less per day! That is 60 km of cars if they would queue up in 1 line!
- Buy less. If you just buy 10% less than you are tempted to do, you will save a lot of money, waste, trash, energy, junk and tidy-up time. And if you also apply this rule to food, you will -on top- loose a lot of weight!
- Bring your own bag when doing your (-10%) grocery shopping. This will save you money as an increasing number of retailers charge for plastic bags, it will reduce the number of plastic bags in use (world wide 500-1000 billion bags per year!!!!). A big gain for the environment with little effort required, so it is just a no-brainer.
- Choose 1 day a week when you don't buy anything. If you consider yourself a sustainable expert of advanced level: don't pick Sundays!
- Walk or cycle if your destination is less than 750 meters away, it should take max 9 minutes to reach it if you walk at average pace (And if it matters to you: it would burn 50 Calories!).
- And if you do have to drive: drive smarter: turn off your engine if you have to wait for longer than 2 minutes, shift to higher gear as soon as possible, drive smoothly, slow down, close your window when driving faster than 60 mph. For more tips see: Energy Saving Trust
- Recycle something you haven't recycled before. Shoes? newspapers? Wedding dress? Your wife (suggestion by my husband, saves you a wedding and a ring!)? Re-distributing received (but not very liked) presents does fit into this category as well!
- Replace none of your electric devices this year unless they break down. We are all eager to have the latest gadgets, but take 1 minute extra to consider if you really need it. (and to recycle you old gadget!)
Good luck and keep me posted how you're doing!
All the best for 2013!
